Ribbon or band.



No. 640,085. Patented Decf26, 1899'. S. BURTON.

RIBBON 0B BAND.

(Application filed June 4, 1898.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: INVENTOR STOKTONBORTN HIS ATTORNEYS.

ms NORRIS pz'rzns ca. Paorauma, WASHINGTON. n. c.

STATE PATENT STOCKTON BORTON, OF PROVIDENCE, RI-IODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE IVILLCOX & GIBBS SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RIBBON OR BAND.

srncrrrca'rroiv forming part of Letters Patent ive. 640,085, dated December 26, 1899.

Application filed June 4, 1898. Serial No. 6821550. (No specimens.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, STOCKTON BORTON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Providence,county of Providence,State of Rhode Island, have invented Improvements in the Manufacture of Ribbons or Bands, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce ribbons, strips, tapes, or bands with finished edges economically and with greater possibilities of variety in finish than is feasible in ribbons or bands woven with selvages.

The weaving of ribbons or bands with sel- Vages is relatively expensive, because no matter how many ribbons or bands be woven at one time in a given loom every ribbon or band requires an independent shuttle to produce the selvage and much room is lost by the space required to be left in the loom between adjacent ribbons or bands. I greatly reduce the cost of manufacture of ribbons or bands with finished edges by dispensing with the weaving of the selvages, and this I do by cutting strips from wide-woven goods and covering the raw cut edges of these strips with overseamingstitch,preferably over a filling cord or cords above or below or over a tape. The finished edging thus produced is not only a very economical and efficient sub-- stitute for the wovenselvage, but it far surpasses the latter in the possibilities of the variety of color and other effects which can be produced. For instance, different effects may be given to the edging by varying the tensions to cause the two threads to interlock at different points, (above, at, or below the edge of the goods,) while by using threads of different colors (harmonizing, however, with the colors of the goods and the filling) an indefinite variety of color eifects may be produced, which would be impracticable with woven selvages.

My invention is especially valuable in the manufacture of velvet ribbons or other pilous fabrics in the form of ribbons or bands, because the weaving of selvaged pilous or velvet ribbons is relatively still more expensive than the weaving of selvaged ribbons or bands of other goods. In pilous fabrics or unmarred velvet ribbons with overseamed edges. The mere feeding of the velvet through a sewing-machine would damage the pile or plush face. I have, however, produced velvet ribbons made from strips with raw edges cut from wide-woven velvet goods by overseaming the raw edges and produced a finish more desirable and far more economical than a Woven selvage without marring the pile face of the velvet.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a View illustrating how the ribbon strips are cut from the breadths of woven goods. Fig. 2 is a face view of an overseamed strip. Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views, drawn to an enlarged scale, of ribbons or bands with overseamed and corded edges; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view, drawn to an exaggerated scale, of apiece of velvet ribbon made in accordance with my invention.

In carrying out my invention I take any ordinary width of the woven goods of which the ribbons or bands are to be madeand I cut it up by any suitable means into longitudinal strips 8 s of the width required, as indicated in Fig. 1. The sides of the strips thus produced have rough or raw unfinished edges. I then take each of these strips and overseam the raw edges, as at 0 0, Fig. 2, thus producing very economically ribbons or bands of the best appearance and durability.

In the case of velvet ribbons the important point is to so apply the overseam as not to leave objectionable marks on the plush or pile face of the goods-such marks, for instance, as would naturally be made by the presserfoot of the sewing-machine. For this purpose the presser-foot is made of such a character as to press only on the extreme edge of the goods,which willbe crushed thereby; but this crushed edge will be covered by the overseamnection with a needle to form atrue overseam-.

stitch over the edge of the goods or by means of a sewing-machine having a vibrating needle, for instance, to form what is commonly termed a zigzag stitch, but which will in the finished article be in the nature of an overseam-stitch. A machine peculiarly well adapted to this work is the overseam sewingmachine illustrated in the patents granted to me, in conjunction with Charles H. Willcox, April 5, 1892, Nos. 472,094 and 472,095. By the use of varying kinds and colors of this filling and varying sizes and colors of the overseaming-threads and varying feed and tensions in the sewing-machine and by cutting the strips from the goods on the bias or otherwise an indefinite variety of effects may be produced, and as this overseamed edging can be put on very rapidly (two thousand to three thousand stitches a minute) I produce a ribbon or band superior to and yet cheaper than a ribbon or band with a selvage.

I claim as my invention--- 1. As a new article of manufacture,a fabric in the form of a ribbon or band havinga cut edge covered with a filling, and overseamstitching binding said filling in place and coverin g said out ed ge,substantially as described.

2. As a new article of manufacture,a fabric in the form of a ribbon or band having opposite out edges covered with fillings and oversearn-stitching binding said fillings in place and covering said cut edges, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STOCKTON HORTON Witnesses:

F. WARREN VVRI'GHT, GEORGE E. MINER. 

